Fiber-reinforced laminate composites are used in a variety of applications because they generally exhibit one or more desired characteristics, such a light weight, increased durability, and a high strength-to-weight ratio. One problem that may occur in a composite article is uncontrolled splitting along the orientation of the fibers, especially if an object strikes the composite article with sufficient mass and/or energy to create a large notch or hole which substantially or completely penetrates the composite. Although such damage may be a minor or even a major irritant in some cases, such damage may have catastrophic consequences if the composite article is, for example, the wing skin of an aircraft.